09 Eylül 2024
Grinding or clenching your teeth, especially during sleep, can damage both your teeth and your jaw joints. People who clench their teeth often suffer from tooth wear, sensitivity to hot or cold, fractured tooth edges, gum disease and pain in the jaw and neck area.
Let’s look at three ways to prevent or eliminate these problems:
1. Using a Night Guard
A night guard, custom-made by your dentist, is a very thin appliance that is worn while you sleep. This guard creates a gap of about 1 millimeter between your teeth, helping your muscles to rest in a comfortable position. Over time, your muscles will adapt to this position and help alleviate teeth clenching problems.
2. Having Masseter Botox
Masseter Botox involves injecting botulinum toxin into the masseter muscle, the largest chewing muscle. This treatment provides gradual relief from clenching by slightly reducing the strength of this muscle. However, it is important to remember that masseter botox should not be performed more than two times in a row.
3. Identifying the Source of Teeth Grinding
Is your teeth clenching caused by stress? Could it be due to a high filling or dental crown? Or is it linked to gingivitis?
Identifying and addressing the root cause of teeth clenching can help resolve the problem. It is very important to consult your dentist as soon as possible for proper diagnosis and treatment.